hamlet act 3 scene 4 analysis essay

Pardon Our Interruption

As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:

• You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser.
• You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed.
• You've disabled cookies in your web browser.
• A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article .

To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page.

Website navigation

Hamlet - Act 3, scene 4

Download hamlet.

Last updated: Tue, Jun 02, 2020

• PDF Download as PDF
• DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers
• DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers
• HTML Download as HTML
• TXT Download as TXT
• XML Download as XML
• TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Download as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis)

Navigate this work

Act 3, scene 4.

In Gertrude’s room, Polonius hides behind a tapestry. Hamlet’s entrance so alarms Gertrude that she cries out for help. Polonius echoes her cry, and Hamlet, thinking Polonius to be Claudius, stabs him to death. Hamlet then verbally attacks his mother for marrying Claudius. In the middle of Hamlet’s attack, the Ghost returns to remind Hamlet that his real purpose is to avenge his father’s death. Gertrude cannot see the Ghost and pities Hamlet’s apparent madness. After the Ghost exits, Hamlet urges Gertrude to abandon Claudius’s bed. He then tells her about Claudius’s plan to send him to England and reveals his suspicions that the journey is a plot against him, which he resolves to counter violently. He exits dragging out Polonius’s body.

Stay connected

Find out what’s on, read our latest stories, and learn how you can get involved.

William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Hamlet at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Hamlet
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act IV: Scene 4
• Act IV: Scene 5
• Act IV: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Character Analysis
• Character Map
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes
• Yorick's Skull as a Major Symbol
• Free Will and Fate
• Ophelia's Dilemma
• Top 8 Quotes Explained
• Film Versions
• Full Glossary
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis Act III: Scene 4

As promised, Polonius arrives in Gertrude 's room before Hamlet and hides himself behind an arras. He instructs Gertrude to be entirely blunt with her son. Hamlet enters challenging, "Now, Mother, what's the matter?" Gertrude tells him he has badly offended his father, meaning Claudius ; Hamlet answers that she has badly offended his father, meaning King Hamlet. Hamlet intimidates Gertrude, and she cries out that he is trying to murder her. Polonius reacts from behind the curtain and yells for help. Hamlet draws his sword and thrusts it through the tapestry, killing Polonius. When Hamlet lifts the wallhanging and discovers Polonius' body, he tells the body that he had believed he was stabbing the King. He then turns his attention to punishing Gertrude. He presses contrasting pictures of Claudius and his brother in Gertrude's face. He points out King Hamlet's godlike countenance and courage, likening Claudius to an infection in King Hamlet's ear. He accuses Gertrude of lustfulness, and she begs him to leave her alone.

King Hamlet's Ghost reappears to Hamlet, but only Hamlet can see him. Hamlet believes that the Ghost has come to chide his tardy son into carrying out the "dread command," but Hamlet then perceives the Ghost as his mother's protector. The Ghost tells his son to be kinder to her. Gertrude is utterly convinced now that her son is hallucinating from a devil-inspired madness, but Hamlet tells her that it is not madness that afflicts him. He begs her to confess her guilt to him and to heaven. At the very least, he begs her, don't sleep with Claudius or let him "go paddling in your neck with his damned fingers."

He asks if she knows that Claudius is sending him to England; she had forgotten. He tells her that he distrusts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and that they are undoubtedly taking him to England to do some foul bidding for Claudius. She confesses that she knows about the exile. He bids his mother good night and exits, pulling Polonius' body behind him.

Although a closet was a private room in a castle, and a bedroom was meant for receiving visitors, the convention since the late 19th century has been to stage the scene between Hamlet and Gertrude in Gertrude's bedroom. Staging the scene in the closet rather than in a bedroom is more in line with the Freudian psychoanalysis of an Oedipal Hamlet — a man resembling the Greek character Oedipus who bedded his mother and killed his father. If Gertrude received him in her closet, she treated him more as an intimate than as a son.

Up until this scene, one can dismiss the notion that Shakespeare envisioned a prince whose love for his mother was unnatural and itself incestuous. One can rationalize Hamlet's hysteria over Gertrude's marriage to Claudius in light of the Renaissance notion of family honor and the prevailing definitions of incest, which implicated Gertrude and Claudius. But in Act III, Scene 4, no better way exists for the modern thinker to justify Hamlet's behavior than to suppose that he has a Freudian attachment to Gertrude.

Though not the first to cast Hamlet in an Oedipal light, Laurence Olivier popularized the notion of an untoward love between Hamlet and his mother in the 1947 Royal Shakespeare Company production and again in the 1948 film version. In the film, Olivier, playing Hamlet opposite his wife in the role of Gertrude, staged the scene so that it was stripped of all its ambiguities. He dressed Gertrude's bed in satin, and he dressed the Queen, awaiting her son's arrival, in the same suggestively folded satin and silk. The two engage in a verbal exchange that possesses the breathless engagement of foreplay, and Hamlet then presses himself onto his mother in an overtly sexual way. The scene is believable played this way, especially given that Claudius will tell us shortly that Gertrude "lives almost by his looks," and because Hamlet's melodramatic reaction to his father's passing seems so wooden without that underpinning of deep emotion.

Continued on next page...

Previous Scene 3

Next Scene 4

has been added to your

Reading List!

Removing #book# from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title.

Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# and any corresponding bookmarks?

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• English Literature
• Shakespeare

Write a Critical Analysis on Hamlet Act 3 Scene 4

Act 3 scene 4 – also known as the ‘closet’ scene – is a pivotal moment within play. It depicts Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother, Gertrude, over his recent decisions and behaviour, and dwells over the relationship between the two.

The scene begins with Polonius telling the Queen to be “straight” and direct with Hamlet about his ways and that he – Polonius – will be hiding in silence; which is ironic, as it is his inability to stay silent which leads to his death. Quite strange within this brief introduction into the scene is that Polonius finds it fit that he should have to tell the Queen what to say and do when talking to her own son – and it is these sorts of foolish interjections, into business which do not concern people of his nature, which render his death inevitable.

Following Hamlet’s entrance into the scene, Gertrude tries fruitlessly to exemplify her authority. She first tells Hamlet that he has “thy father much offended” which he immediately counters by saying that she has the Old Hamlet “much offended”. The sudden change of subject to the dead – the Old King Hamlet – sets the scene for the later comparison which apparently hurts Gertrude at the heart.  The conversation progresses with Gertrude attempting yet again to show her status as his mother by reminding him, “Have you forgot me?” however, likewise to the earlier counter, Hamlet reminds her that she is her “husband’s brother’s wife”. Hamlet’s fixation upon the condition and actions of Gertrude rather than his own, exemplifies his resentment upon her – however, this may also be seen as Hamlet’s love and concern for his mother; this view is later enforced by his advice for Gertrude to keep her “virtue” or what’s left of it, by not retreating to Claudius’ bed.

The scene then takes a most shocking turn with Hamlet actually putting meaning behind his words and taking his thoughts past their boundaries into action. Gertrude, realising that she is no match for Hamlet in this argument, attempts to “set those” who has the power and authority to make him listen. Hamlet however takes her back by force and sets up a mirror to see the “inmost part of” her. This can obviously be mistaken as literally seeing the inside of her body, which Gertrude takes on and interprets as an attempt of murder – which leads to her screams for “help”. Polonius now foolishly, still from behind the arras, shouts for help – the fact that he does not come out himself shows his cowardice – and this is what leads to his murder.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Hamlet’s sudden decision to kill the “rat” on the basis of sound conveys his irrational personality – at this point – and sets the basis for the reader to assume that on some level, he may be ill at the mind. However, from this brutal act I can only assume that he was incensed due to Gertrude’s stubborn actions. Aside from the act itself, Hamlet still refers the deed “almost as bad” as “kill a king and marry his brother”. This comment shows that Hamlet is still fixated upon the actions of Gertrude rather than on the sin at hand – moreover, when realising it is Polonius who is dead, he still calls him an “intruding fool” which shows his little, if not no remorse; which again suggests that he may have already become mad.

After this their conversation continues, Hamlet tells Gertrude that he hopes that her heart hasn't become so hardened that it's impenetrable, he believes that her vices, that to her have become so habitual, are to blame. Gertrude questions Hamlets reasons for talking to her “in noise so rude”, he tells her his reasons are that she has committed an act that heaven would be ashamed of. Hamlet personifies the act by remarking that it “blurs the grace and blush of modesty” and “calls virtue hyprocrite”. He then blasphemously comments on the act opposing “sweet religion” which is ironic as Hamlet has just committed the worst sin of all, murder. Gertrude however is still confused as to what this act is which “roars so loud and thunders in the index”.

To illustrate his point, Hamlet takes two miniatures – one of Old King Hamlet, and another of the now King Claudius. He then compliments his father as if he was a God with an “eye like Mars” and “Hyperion’s curls”. Every god seemed to “set his seal” and when people were depressed with mankind they would look to him and he would be able to make them feel better and more assured. He then compares this almost too perfect picture to Claudius, “this was your husband” “here is your husband” and he remarks him as “mildewed ear”. The comparison between the two brothers are of course biased towards King Hamlet – due to Hamlet’s favour – therefore, the it is only natural that it is over-exaggerated in order to lower the appearance of Claudius.  

Hamlet then forcibly attacks Gertrude, stating that it is not love that she is feeling, “for at” her “age” the feeling for love and adventure has settled. Hamlet believes that all her senses have gone, but that even if she did have part of her senses then she wouldn't be so confused. He believes that if the devil can encourage the worser nature of the older generation to rebel against their better judgement, then they have no right telling the younger generation what to do. Hamlet explains that in circumstances like these virtue becomes a soft wax melting in the fire of youthful ardour and, that reason acts as a pander to lust. Hamlet uses imagery to explain to Gertrude that things are no longer in the order that they should be “frost itself as actively doth burn” nature has lost its natural order.

When Hamlet has finished telling Gertrude this, she tells him that she doesn’t want him to speak anymore, this is because she feels guilty she tells him that as she looks in on her soul she sees black spots that now cannot be removed, here we see a change in Gertrude, she seems to have realised what she has done and why Hamlet is upset. Hamlet asks her how she could live in such a greasy and foul bed that is full of sin, and he tells her once again that Claudius is not worth even half of what her old husband was worth. After Hamlet has finished speaking he spots the ghost of his father again. His persistence in humiliating and informing Gertrude of her flaw may not only stem from his anger, but also from his love for his mother – showing his moral and humane side which contradicts his assumed madness. Shortly after, the ghost of King Hamlet appears.

He begins to talk to it; Gertrude who doesn’t see the ghost believes that he is totally mad. Hamlet tells the ghost that he has allowed his emotions to cloud his judgment he believes that he has allowed time to slip by and his commitment to his task of revenge to cool. The ghost tells Hamlet that he has come back to sharpen his will and to remind him of what he has to do; not because he has forgotten but because he is misusing the energies which should be directed towards revenge. He then tells Hamlet that he should go to try and put Gertrudes' mind at rest. Gertrude, who still cannot see who Hamlet is talking to, asks him why he is talking to an empty space. She describes how mad he looks to her, he appears to be talking to nothing, his eyes are popping out of his head and his hair is on end; she’s worried about him and she wants him to calm down. She asks him whom he is talking to. Hamlet points to the ghost and describes to her that the look on the ghosts face could make even stones cry, he doesn’t want the ghost to look at him like that as he feels that it will weaken him, he believes that pity is not a state of mind that is likely to generate violent behaviour. As Gertrude is still wondering what is going on, the ghost leaves.

Gertrude believes that everything that Hamlet says he can see, he has created in his imagination; she believes that madness is very skillful in creating. Hamlet tells her that he is not mad, he knows what he is saying and he tells her that he wants her to stop reassuring herself that he is mad, as he believes that that will encourage this to continue. He wants Gertrude to repent for what she has done, here we see Hamlet acting like a moral judge, he sees himself as the only person upholding morality. He becomes sarcastic by asking Gertrude for forgiveness for being a good person; he’s mocking her. Gertrude becomes confused, her heart has been divided into two and she doesn't know in which direction to turn. Hamlet tells her that she should throw away the bad part of her heart and keep the good part of it; he wants her to pretend that she is virtuous even if she isn't. He tells her that when she's goes to sleep tonight she shouldn't go Claudius' bed, as this will make the next night away from him easier for her. He tells her that he will pray to be forgiven for what he has done and that at the same time he will also pray for her to be forgiven, he won't ask ask for her blessing (like a son normally should do) until she is repentant and seeks God's blessing. Hamlet tells us such has been the will of heaven that he should be punished by being the cause of Polonius's death, and that because of this Polonius will be punished in death. Hamlet tells Gertrude that he will be honest about the death of Polonius and he carries on to say that he sees the death of Polonius as the bad beginning of a vengeance that will yet be worse.

Getrude asks him what she must do now and Hamlet tells her that she must not let the King tempt her again, she must not tell him what has happened tonight. He tells her that he is not mad, but that he has created this madness "I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft". Once again Hamlet turns sarcastic towards Gertrude and asks her what reason a good and honest Queen may have to keep a secret from a bad and dishonest King, he tells her that if she lets any of this out she will live to suffer and that should do this for her own good. Hamlet uses a fable to illustrate to Gertrude what will happen to her if she tells anyone; she will gain nothing by it and that if she imagines that she can act with the king as cleverly as he can, independently of him, then she will be like the ape trying to fly and so will come to grief. She swears to him that she will not tell a soul.

Hamlet has a plan to do with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, that instead of them trapping him, he will trap them. The scene finishes off by Hamlet telling Gertrude that he could never trust Polonius before, but now that he is dead he can. He says goodnight to Gertrude and then leaves tugging Polonius' body behind him. In this scene we can see Hamlets relationship with women and his mother in particular, even thought he talks to her he is still very suspicious of her and this gives him a bad impression of women in general, he feels as though he cannot trust them.

Hamlet’s behaviour and character is sending the reader a very confusing signal. The fact that he shows no remorse over the killing of Polonius illustrates his detachment with reality, but at the same time, he loves his mother enough to warn her not to fall deeper in sin. The fact that Gertrude could not see the ghost but he could suggests that it was merely an apparition which contributes to the idea of his insanity. Whether sane or insane, it is without doubt that Hamlet still remains a powerful character, and with his hands already stained with blood, it is assured that he will shed more.  

Document Details

• Word Count 2130
• Page Count 4
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject English

Related Essays

Commentary of Hamlet Act 3 Scene 4.

A detailed analysis of Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet.

Hamlet - Act 3 Scene 2

HAMLET In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet discloses his true feelings, in Act...

William Shakespeare

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.